Not I, said the national baseball writer. But I have said all along that the A’s would be better than people think. And while I agree it’s impossible to gauge an entire season on the first two weeks, I think the A’s have shown that they are better than imagined.

No. 1, it appears they will hit more consistently than we’ve seen in years. Not that they’re an offensive force necessarily, but 38 runs on an eight-game trip against some of the better pitching in the AL isn’t shabby. A huge concern is the lack of power, but even with that, there’s reason for optimism.

As for the rest, Joe Blanton is Joe Blanton, and Duchscherer will be fine if he stays healthy (I’m assuming Harden will continue to be Harden, and you know what that means). The bullpen is shaky. Santiago Casilla throws his slider with a lot of torque, so I worry about his elbow, and Huston Street is not a dominant closer at the moment.

Where it all takes the A’s is, obviously, hard to say. But bringing a 9-6 mark into the second homestand is a nice development for them, and might be indication that this summer won’t be as drab as most of you thought back in January.